Kite Racing >> Exciting Times
Hi Everyone,
The recent decision by the ISAF to include Kite Racing in the 2016 Olympics is excellent news on all fronts. It really validates Kiteboarding and will give even more opportunity for the sport to grow stronger. Already the media attention has had a positive effect all over the world. We have to thank Johnny, Yo, Adam Vance and the other kiters who were at Santander to showcase to the ISAF that Kiteboarding is the way of the future.
Since we introduced the Edge in 2007 we focused the design to be as performance orientated as possible. We have been passionate about Kite racing and performance long before any prospect of the Olympics. The legendary Chip Wasson has been enjoying the performance advantage since he joined our Team and has been giving us valuable feedback from San Francisco, the epicenter of Kite racing before being joined by Adam, Andrew & Johnny.
As many of you have found out the EDGE is not just a race kite, it is also amazing for boosting big and mega hang time. It’s an ultimate performance freeride kite that suits riders from intermediate to advanced/expert looking for something special in their quiver.
You can now ‘turbo charge’ the EDGE with our Spectra Race lines and our new thinner diameter Aramid spliced bridles. These aftermarket accessories take the EDGE to a whole new level, they are a must have if you are serious about racing. Available form your local Ozone Distributor for the ultimate upgrade.
In early 2010 we introduced the Ozone Race Buoy to help our distributor network have access to a low cost Buoy to make setting up local racing possible. This is a great product to jump start racing in your local area.
Coming soon is the Ozone “Race Control System” developed in collaboration with Team Fluid (Adam Koch, Andrew Koch, Johnny Heineken, Chip Wasson). The double pulley system allows for minute trimming on the go, allowing the racer to keep pushing maximum power against the fins while trimming the kites power. This is another great example of our commitment in developing Kite Racing.
We have to thank our amazing Race Team who been pushing the boundaries, promoting our sport and being perfect ambassadors for Ozone. There have also been other believers that have backed racing and our riders and they deserve just as much recognition for their efforts; Mike Zajeck, Nils Stolzlechner, Alex Aguera, Paolo Rista and Tectonics.
Kite Racing has come a long way in a short time, watch the video HERE from CNN showcasing an excellent intro into Kite Racing. Below are some quotes from the guys remembering back a few years;
“Chip Wasson - I remember when racing was simply a concept that a few crazies were chasing up. Finally when some key people like Matt Taggart (Ozone) and Mike Zajicek (Mikes Lab) started to listen, I knew things were going somewhere. Unfortunately, it was me getting Johnny Heineken to start racing, somewhat against his will, that meant one further place back in the fleet for me….Ha, Kite racing is just really all around amazing!”
“Johnny Heineken - At the first race of the worlds in 2009 I almost took out Chip Wasson at the first leeward mark. I looped my kite straight into the water and Chip shoulder checked it and barely made it through. I would have felt really bad as he sold me my race board and basically got me into the race.”
“Adam Koch - I remember only a few years ago when Andrew and I had to build our own boards in my garage. We couldn’t beg, borrow or steal race boards so we had to make our own. It was so cold in Seattle that we had to build an insulated room to get the epoxy to kick off in time to make our flight to Mexico the next day to go and race.”
“Andrew Koch - It’s been a long road, but I knew we were onto something great when Adam got us some Ozone kites. We had been to several other kite brands and couldn’t find anyone interested in racing. Two world championships later Ozone is still the kite to beat.”
See you all on the water
Matt Taggart
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